Pair extradited over alleged toddler injury

INVESTIGATIONS into a 23-month-old girl who was brought to Maclean District Hospital in March with a catastrophic brain injury have led to the extradition of a Queensland man and woman on Wednesday.

On Tuesday March 12, police were notified after a 23-month-old girl presented at the hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Officers were told by the doctors the girl had suffered a catastrophic brain injury. She remains in a serious condition. Detectives from State Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad established Strike Force Celeste to investigate how the child came to be injured.

Following extensive inquiries, a 39-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, who are known to the girl, were arrested by the Queensland Police Service's Child Trauma Unit at a home in Mansfield, Queensland, about 10am on Tuesday.

Man being taken to Tweed police :
Man is led into Tweed heads Police Station after being extradited from Queensland

Following extensive inquiries, a 39-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, who are known to the girl, were arrested by the Queensland Police Service's Child Trauma Unit at a home in Mansfield, Queensland, about 10am on Tuesday.

Strike force detectives travelled to Queensland, where they applied for and were granted the pair's extradition to NSW at Brisbane Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The pair were escorted to Tweed Heads Police Station on Wednesday where the man was charged with cause grievous bodily harm to person with intent (DV), intending to pervert the course of justice, and fail to provide for child cause danger of death (DV).

Police will allege in court that the man injured the child at a holiday rental home northeast of Grafton, before medical attention was sought three days later.

He was refused bail to appear at Tweed Heads Local Court on Wednesday.

The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.